U.S. urged to do more vs. gun trafficking to Mexico

WASHINGTON 
The United States should do more to curb the trafficking of guns to Mexico that have armed narcotics cartels and fueled violence in border cities, a report released yesterday says.

The 72-page study by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, “The United States and Mexico: Towards a Strategic Partnership,” says a top priority for both countries is the growing problem of organized crime at the U.S.-Mexico border.

“The U.S. can do far more to address demand and disrupt the flow of money and weapons to Mexico, while Mexico faces the critical challenge of strengthening its judicial and police institutions,” said Andrew Selee, director of the Mexico Institute at the Woodrow Wilson center.

Shortly before Barack Obama became president last month, he met with Mexican President Felipe Calderón in Washington and pledged to increase efforts to stop the flow of weapons from the United States to Mexico.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, called this week for congressional investigations into border violence caused by drug cartels.

“This issue has serious implications not only for Texas, but for our national security as well,” Cornyn said after a Thursday meeting with Arturo Sarukhan, Mexico's ambassador to the United States.

Sarukhan will be at the University of California San Diego on Thursday to speak at the Institute of the Americas.

Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, D-Texas, and Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, and Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., filed companion bills in the House and Senate last month to crack down on illegal gunrunning.

The bills call for $30 million over the next two years to hire 80 agents for a Justice Department program to investigate and prosecute people trafficking guns to Mexico.

Texas is the primary source of most guns smuggled into Mexico, and California is second, according to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.